Remi Garde not sleeping well amid Aston Villa struggles
Remi Garde admits that Aston Villa's desperate plight is giving him sleepless nights.
Garde has been unable to revive Villa's fortunes since replacing Tim Sherwood as manager at the start of November, winning just two Barclays Premier League matches.
Defeat against Stoke at the weekend was Villa's 17th league loss this season and leaves them firmly rooted to the bottom of the table.
On the face of it, Garde's team are no worse off than when Saturday's fixtures began - still eight points from safety. But the manner of the defeats is alarming, with Garde himself admitting that Villa lack the quality to score enough goals.
Even a point at the Britannia Stadium would have given Villa a lift and a psychological edge heading into Tuesday night's home game with Everton.
But it was another defeat, more self-mocking from the fans, further chants against owner Randy Lerner and there is a protest planned for the fixture at Villa Park.
"I am not sleeping very well, as you can guess," said Garde.
"I never relax, I am always watching football into the night. I am fully focussed on that. I will try to analyse what I need to do, what I can change.
"There are so many aspects of the game - psychologically, tactically, physically, technically. I try to adapt what I saw in the game, when I watch the game again, of course, like every game.
"I try to do my best in my position but it is difficult."
Villa supporters are planning to walk out in the 74th minute of their next three home games, starting with the visit of Everton.
The protests are planned for the 74th minute to signify when Villa were founded in 1874 with supporters angry at the club's lack of direction as Villa look certain to drop into the Sky Bet Championship.
Jordan Ayew is available again after serving a three-match suspension and the striker is likely to go straight back into the starting line-up against Roberto Martinez's side.
Martinez, meanwhile, is determined to embrace the challenge the additional pressure the club's new billionaire investor Farhad Moshiri will demand.
Over the weekend the Iranian is believed to have agreed to pay about B#85million for an initial 49.9 per cent share, pledging to plough significantly more into the club's transfer dealings and infrastructure.
With money behind him - something few Everton managers have been blessed with - Martinez will be expected to deliver better results than he has this season with arguably the best squad in a generation.
Champions League qualification will now become even more of a focus but Martinez, whose side are currently 12 points adrift of the top four, is happy to operate under those expectations.
"It is something I want. As a manager I didn't arrive at Everton saying 'I hope I can stay here six or seven years and go through the motions'," he said.
"I set the bar really high, I wanted a winning team and I wanted to get into the Champions League and that is still the case.
"With a new investor and fresh blood into our club all of a sudden you have a new opportunity to get to those aspirations quicker.
"Nothing changes and that is what we want. The chairman and myself will embrace that pressure and that need of delivering the right outcome as we have a strong belief in what we are doing.
"Farhad Moshiri will bring us a different dimension. It is a big moment in the club's history with a new investor coming in.
"The vision Moshiri is sharing will take Everton to the next level - and every single department will be assessed."
Toffees midfielder Mo Besic will not be fit to return having missed the last six matches with a hamstring injury but could be ready for Saturday's visit of West Ham.
Fellow midfielder Darron Gibson is still injured but striker Arouna Kone returns to the squad after missing their last match - the FA Cup win at Bournemouth - through illness.
Source: PAR
